The Story of Emma Andrews

The Haunting of the Black Hood

"What are you doing?" Emma looked down at him as she peered over the stairs at her brother who sat, facing the door, with a bat. "Archie, is this what you've been doing every night?"

"It's to keep you and dad safe, Em."

Emma shook her head as she came down the stairs, "No, Arch. This is obsessive." She eyed him, clearly worried as he began to speak.

Archie stopped himself and began to scan his surroundings.

The sound of creaking became more audible causing Emma to look at him in a questioning manner. "Stay behind me."

She followed him as he walked slowly towards the door in the kitchen. Emma's heart pounded as she passed the island.

The door had opened and just as Archie was about to swing, "Whoa, whoa!" Jughead jumped.

"Stop! Wait." She grabbed her brother.

Archie put the bat down and stared at him in disbelief. "Jughead, are you insane?"

"You're one to talk." Emma muttered.

Jughead nodded, "You're the one who looks like a dream warrior from Nightmare on Elm Street 3."

"Nice one." Emma said as she sat on one of the stools of her kitchen island.

Archie looked at him, still waiting for an explanation of why the raven-haired boy was sneaking around his house at one in the morning.

"Why are you here so late?"

Jughead looked to Emma as she looked down. Archie looked between the two and scoffed, "Are you sneaking into my sister's bedroom?" He placed the bat against the island.

Emma rolled her eyes, "As if I don't hear Veronica being snuck in for one of your late night booty calls."

"You guys were going t-" He looked at his sister bewildered.

Emma's mouth dropped and waved her arms as he stopped himself mid-sentence, "Okay, enough."

However, Archie didn't take the hint.

"I don't think you can do that. What about your stitches?" He pointed to his sister's abdomen.

Jughead smirked as Emma's face became red out of embarrassment from the whole conversation. She wasn't shy about the subject, but rather the way this conversation had led into it.

The raven-haired met eyes with Archie and shrugged, "I mean, there are other ways of you know..."

He moved his hands around as Archie shook his head, "Are you seriously telling me how you were going to screw my sister?"

"Oh, my God. I'm right here. Can we not talk about our sex life?" She looked at the two boys. Jughead placed his hands up, "I guess now is a good time to talk since we are all here."

Archie leaned against the sink as Jughead sat next to Emma giving her a quick kiss.

"What did the lawyers say?" She asked.

"I've been walking around all night, trying to wrap my head around how bad it is... It's bad." His voice wavered as the twins looked at him intently. "The lawyer thinks my dad should take the deal. 20 Years. If not... and it goes to trial, it could be forty. I'm just really, really scared."

Emma rubbed his back as she watched him slowly panic.

"Yeah, me too." Archie agreed, staring into oblivion. Emma knew he wasn't scared for FP or Jughead, but for himself.

For her and her dad.

***

Emma watched as Archie paced frantically as she and Fred sat down in their living room. She could see the worry on Archie's face, the news of Grundy's death had reached him.